Keith Driver believes he and his late dad, Alan, are the only father-son Lord Mayors in 100 years of Norwich's proud and illustrious history.

His father was mayor in 1981/2 and Mr Driver took on the prestigious role this year.

Although his father was Lord Mayor, he said he never really hankered after the position himself.

But when he got the chance to put his name down as a nominee for Lord Mayor, he took it.

And, lo and behold, he's now the public face of Norwich to every visiting dignitary or group of foreign students.

He said: 'When they said I was Lord Mayor, I grabbed it with both hands. It's a great honour to become the first citizen of Norwich, and to follow in my father's footsteps.

'We are the first father-son mayors in more than 100 years. It's fantastic, but it's hard work. Your diary gets full up very quickly, so there are some things you have to turn down.

'I could not go to the Royal Norfolk Show because there was something already in the diary, so the Sheriff had to go instead.'

Mr Driver was born on the Tuckswood estate in south Norwich and attended Tuckswood Infant, South Harford Middle and City of Norwich School. He left at 16 with no qualifications other than a swimming certificate.

Now living just off Mansfield Lane, in the same south Norwich area, he's proud that he's one of only four people from the area to become Lord Mayor.

'It's a great honour to be Lord Mayor from the estate. Keith Ratcliffe was from the top bit of the estate, and the others were Bernard Smith, and my father.'

His father was born in a woodcutter's shed in Besthorpe, near Attleborough. Becoming a city councillor in 1957, two years before Keith was born, he was a councillor for more than 28 years.

Mr Driver said the rules for being Lord Mayor were less strict in those days.

'When my father was mayor I used to get the odd lift to the city in the mayor's limousine. I'd be in the car with the flag flying. You would not be able to do that now.'

His wife, Linden, and step-daughter Sarah are his mayoral consorts, and he gets to spend time in the mayor's room at City Hall, where he has his own toilet and there's a balcony where he can look out on the city below.

He wants his legacy as Lord Mayor to be seen as inspiring young people.

He added: 'I want young people to join in charity events, as most of the people who now take part are middle-aged.

'I'm still city councillor for Lakenham ward, so I'm still doing my council work.

'One of the reasons for becoming a councillor is that whatever you do, you are helping people. You can't help everyone, but you can try to put some things right.'

Last week, he went to the tall ships festival in Rouen, and was able to use his French.

'I went to night school and took enhanced French,' he said.

After leaving school, he started off as a butcher, working at a few butcher's shops, but he said they all kept closing.

'After that I had a temporary cleaning job at UG Plastics in Salhouse Road. I was a roofer, then a demolition worker. We did demolition work at all the airforce bases, Coltishall, Mildenhall, and Lakenheath.

'We also stripped out the Bell Hotel in Norwich when it closed down as a pub.

'I did metal sheeting, but after a few years, the wife said she needed more money to come in regularly, so I took on another job as a cleaner. I would do the Next store in the morning, and then the former Samson and Hercules nightclub in Tombland.'

He became a city councillor in 2001, but had always been active working for the Labour party.

'When I was 14/15 I worked at the Labour club in Bethel Street doing the printing.'

When he was a steel erector they put up new cages for the lions at Banham Zoo, but he never came face to face with a lion.

He was a porter at the old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and the only man to volunteer as a floor manager at the maternity block.

'No other man would do it because of the embarrassment,' he said.

His brother, David Driver, ran the former Clarence Harbour pub near the Carrow Road stadium.

'I lived there for seven years, and ran the bar when he was away,' he added.

But, surprisingly, he's a life-long Everton fan.

'I love all sport, except for synchronised swimming. I used to play cricket for the King's Arms, Hall Road pub's cricket team. I was a good bowler. Despite being an Everton fan, I used to be a season-ticket holder at Norwich City, but can't afford it now. '

Being an Everton fan explains why he has appeared at council meetings wearing the team's blue colours.

'When everyone was picking a team to follow in the 1960s, Everton had just won the FA Cup in 1966. Other kids were choosing Leeds, Aston Villa, Millwall, whichever. I have stayed a supporter all my life. I get to watch them sometimes at Goodison Park, and have seen them at Ipswich and when they come to Norwich.'

He's also a keen fan of sea fishing off the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk, and he plays cribbage at his local, the Trafford Arms in Grove Road.